When idealists give way to ideology

However, given Mr Corbyn's track record, it is hard to see any united and politically viable Opposition emerging under his tenure.

One tends to reap as one sows. From the distant back benches, Jeremy Corbyn voted against his own party more than 500 times - which is high even by Westminster's sometimes eccentric standards.

How will he inspire loyalty and support for his programme from a party he's so often disregarded and even derided?

He obviously believes in his ideology with a passion and has built his career on it. Yet he gives no hint of an ability to negotiate or look for win-win outcomes.

Arguably, he gravitates toward causes for which he sees only a black and white outcome.

That may, for some, appear attractive in a lone parliamentarian representing a working class constituency. Championing the workers may seem even more laudable when the MP has himself come from a relatively comfortable middle class background, as has Mr Corbyn.

Yet ideologues are hardly ever comfortable with nuance or consensus-building. Like it or not, though they're not very "sexy" and don't often make for great headlines, these are among the core ingredients of government decision-making.